


Bold That Way

by signed_aj



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: 1860s, Boys In Love, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Daguerreotype, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, First Love, First Meetings, Fish, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Might continue eventually, Oneshot probably, Origin Story, Pre-Curse, True Love, Wild West, no slow burn, photographer, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23733925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/signed_aj/pseuds/signed_aj
Summary: "He walked right up to me on the street, he was so bold that way."1865, Ambrose or "Fish" is approached by a man who was compelled to take his picture. A surprise thunderstorm following a drought conveniently gets them locked in the same house together with no chance of leaving until the rain dies down. Fish and Levi spare no time falling in love.
Relationships: Ambrose Dickenson | Fish/Levi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	Bold That Way

For mid-September it was quite cool. There was a heavy autumn breeze blowing up clouds of dirt and dust from the streets and onto the sidewalk. Men stayed closer to the street so that they could try their best to keep the dirt off of their wife’s pretty fall dresses, despite the consequences when it came to their own attire. Most of them didn’t care though, as it was almost too uncommon to see anyone wearing freshly cleaned clothes since the drought had dried up the rivers. 

Some predicted that with the cool air flooding the Purgatory streets, we were due for a heavy rain sometime soon which everyone was praying for. Crops had been wiped out along with the rivers and creeks and the town had started relying on imports from other places to feed the children. 

With storm clouds drifting in from the west, the town was absolutely buzzing with hopeful excitement, several rain buckets set out in front of every storefront and home that you passed.

“Why, Fish, is that you?” called a man from across the road. 

Fish grinned, catching a glimpse of Doc Holliday as he wandered through the crowded street. “Well, hi there, Doc!” he greeted. “It’s been just about a coon’s age since I’ve seen you. What brings you to Purgatory?”

“Well, Wyatt’s got business with the Sheriff and I came along. Glad I did,” Doc told him, shaking his hand heavily before pulling him into a bear hug. “Still workin’ in the mine, then?”

“What can I say?” Fish said, grinning wildly. “It’s honest work.” 

“Honest work for an honest man,” Doc agreed.

The two stood talking for what must have been an hour. Doc told him all about the adventures he’d been on with Wyatt, the crazy men that they’d met and evil they both believed they’d taken out of the world in the process. 

While Fish didn’t have as much adventure or travel to tell about, he could tell Doc about things that no one else would ever listen to without shaming or pulling a gun on him. That’s part of the reason that him and Doc had become so close to begin with. Doc’s willingness to listen and accept was something that Fish had never met in another person. 

“You seem well, Fish,” Doc told him after a brief pause while they watched a man’s struggle with a horse in the street. “Better than the last time we encountered one another.”

Fish nodded, smiling at Doc. “I truly believe that is because of you, Doc. You found strength in me that I did not knot that I had, and for that I am grateful.”

Doc nodded, never being one to express a great deal of emotions towards those who felt them towards him. Instead, he held out a fresh cigar and a light. 

“I gave that up shortly after you left,” Fish informed. “Left me distracted from the things I needed in life.”

“You have changed,” Doc said, lighting the cigar for himself. “I am hopin’ that this new light in your life will continue until the next time I will undoubtedly see you.” 

“Leavin’ so soon?” Fish questioned sadly. “I thought we might be able to catch a few drinks at the bar before you and Wyatt had to skip town again.”

“I am afraid not, dear friend. It seems that Wyatt is approachin’ with a quite angry expression on his face and I do believe that is my cue to head on out. It has been good talkin’ to you again.”

Fish cast Doc a sad smile and tipped his hat in farewell as Doc walked away towards Wyatt. He watched them argue for just a moment before walking in the opposite direction and disappearing into crowded Purgatory streets.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned, finding himself face to face with a man and his kind green eyes and mischievous smile. 

“Oh my blazes, you startled me sir,” Fish said, pressing a hand to his heart.

“Wasn’t my intention to scare you,” the man told him. “I just felt compelled to come and ask you if you might be willin’ to pose for me.”

“Pardon me?” Fish asked, confused. 

The man turned his attention to an open spot down the street near a small patch of trees where there was a large box camera on a stand, facing a crate that was sat in front of a tree. 

“You want to take my photo?” 

He nodded. “You just… have this smile. I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least try and capture it.” 

“You’re too kind,” Fish said. “Bold as well, able to ask a stranger to get their photo done.”

The man scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. “I’ve been told that it’s my least attractive trait.”

“Least attractive?” Fish announced, astounded. “I find it incredibly attractive… I mean-”

“You don’t have to explain,” he said, lowering his voice. “I noticed that your eyes drift to men rather than the ladies that pass. I suppose actions similar to your own always seem to catch your eye.”

“So you-”

“The same as you.” 

“I’m Ambrose. Some call me Fish,” Ambrose introduced. “And you are?”

“Levi,” the man said, shaking Fish’s extended hand. “Ambrose, what a lovely name.” 

“Again with the flattery.”

Levi laughed. “What can I say? I’ll do anything to get a beautiful man such as yourself in front of my camera.” 

Fish nodded finally. “I think you’ve convinced me,” he admitted. “I’d absolutely love for you to take my photo.” 

Together, the two crossed the street and entered the small expanse of trees. Levi began to adjust his camera and instructed him to sit on the crate in a position that he felt most comfortable in as the photo would require him to stay completely still for over a minute. 

“Most people don’t like to smile because they can’t hold it long enough,” Levi told him. 

Even with that warning, he couldn’t push the smile away. Not when he looked at Levi’s soft features and the lilac flower tucked into his coat pocket. 

“I’ll countdown from three and you stay completely still, alright?”

Fish nodded, choosing to rest his elbow on his knee and his face in his hand, a soft smile still gracing his lips. 

“Three, two, and one,” Levi said softly, pressing a button on the camera and stepping back to watch Fish. Their eyes locked over the top of the camera and Fish did his best not to let a larger smile break out across his face. They stared for that minute and change, observing each other and relaxing under each other’s gazes.

Levi’s hands didn’t stay still the entire time he was watching Fish. They ran through his dark locks of hair or down his face or rubbed the back of his neck when he realized he’d been smiling uncontrollably while staring into Ambrose’s honey dipped eyes. The realization that he was smiling so much that his cheeks had started to ache didn’t stop him from continuing to smile, though. It just made him realize that he’d never smiled that much in sixty seconds in his entire life.

Fish on the other hand, had forgotten that breathing was necessary until the camera clicked again, letting him know that he could move. He took a deep breath, taking in the air that told him the rain was coming faster than anyone had realized.

“You are one of the few people I’ve ever photographed that is truly beautiful,” Levi said without thinking. “I just hope you know that I’ve never had so much joy fill me from just lookin’ at someone’s face.” 

“Your kindness towards me will never cease to amaze me.” 

“I’d like to ask that you let me treat you to this kindness just a little longer, if it’s alright with you.” 

Before Fish could respond, he looked into the sky, feeling cool drops of water grace his skin as the sky began to darken quickly.

“Well then,” Levi sighed. “I need to get my camera home right about now.”

Fish looked at the small pile of equipment that was set in the grass, and then back at Levi. “There’s no way you can carry all of this on your own. Let me help you!”

Levi shook his head. “I couldn’t ask you to-”

“You didn’t ask. I offered and based the speed on the wind, we don’t have much time to argue about this,” he explained, already starting to pile things into the crate he’d been sitting on while Levi folded his camera stand.

“My house is just down the street,” Levi said, using a hand to block the now pouring rain from his eyes. Fish nodded and pressed a hand to Levi’s back to tell him to start moving. They started to run up the street along with the rest of the townspeople who’d been just as caught off guard by the speed that the rain had started as they had. 

They transitioned from shops and such to the local houses and Levi stopped at one on the outskirts of town. The house was admittedly a little more run down than its neighbors, having been one of the first built in the area, but Fish found it more comforting than anything.

They burst through the front door, and into the dryness of the old house. 

“That’s one hell of a storm out there,” Levi said, setting his camera and stand on a shelf in the main room. “Do you live far?”

“Other side of town,” Fish admitted. “Probably as far as you could get from here, I’m afraid to say.” 

Levi took the crate from him and set it with the rest of the things. He peered out the window, though he couldn’t see much through the rain. He noticed that Fish was already bracing to head back into the storm. “You can’t go all the way across town in this! That’s a forty-five minute walk at least!”

“I’ve walked longer through a blizzard,” he assured. “I’ll be alright.”

Levi shook his head and moved towards Fish, pressing a hand to his already soaked jacket sleeve. “You’ll be stayin’ here until this passes. I won’t hear of anything else.” 

Levi pushed Fish’s coat from his shoulders, grinning when he felt him shiver under his touch and then removing his own and hanging them up to dry on an old coat rack. He moved to a closet near the bedroom and pulled out a few shirts, handing one to Fish. 

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes.”

“Is this your way of tryin’ to get me naked?” Fish joked. 

Levi shrugged, the mischievous smile from earlier reappearing onto his face. “Depends…” 

“On?” 

Levi reached out and took one of Fish’s hands and pressed the palm to his own heart. “That’s not from the runnin’ or the worry about my camera,” he whispered, letting Fish feel the pounding in his chest. It was rapid, so fast and aggressive that he could feel it throughout his entire body. “That’s from you, Ambrose. I saw you from across the street and I felt so much passion for you that I knew that I’d rather live my entire life havin’ been rejected then live it knowing that I’d never said a word to you.”

“It was when I saw your eyes,” Fish said, taking Levi’s free hand and pressing it to his chest so he could feel like his heart was beating just as fast and with just as much intensity. “No one has ever looked at me quite like that before.”

“God, I’d look at you like that for the rest of my life if you’d let me.”

“I think I might just have to let you,” Fish muttered, feeling his body leaning into Levi’s.

Levi pulled his hand from where he was holding Fish’s to his chest and pressed it against his cheek, fingers brushing through his hair lightly. Fish pressed his forehead against Levi’s, feeling his ragged breath cascade over his face. 

“Ambrose,” Levi whispered, almost brushing their lips together as he spoke. “Can I kiss you?” 

“Please do.”

**Author's Note:**

> As of right now, this is a oneshot. I do have ideas for continuing it more, but right now I just don't have the time or motivation for it. Enjoy :)


End file.
